Cornish ‘Botham’ relishes innings

AFP, LONDON

Sat, Jul 20, 2013 - Page 19

Amateur cricketer Andrew Brenton has been dubbed the “Cornish Ian Botham” after his record-breaking innings of 311 in just 40 overs.

Brenton is far removed from the sporting spotlight when he plays for tiny Luckett Cricket Club in Division Two East of the Cornwall Cricket Leagues, but the self-employed builder’s incredible triple century against Tideford drew admiring glances from across the world of cricket.

The 39-year-old’s astonishing innings included 53 boundaries and 11 sixes and was the highest individual score in Cornish cricket history.

Brenton’s heroics earned comparisons with the batting of former England and Somerset star Ian Botham, who was renowned for his ferocious and fearless hitting, most famously when he hauled his country from the brink of defeat in a 1981 Test against Australia at Headingley.

Luckett player David Brown said: “He’s our Ian Botham. The younger lads at the club all look up to him. I don’t think he realizes how good he is — I’ve been telling him for 10 years.”

Brenton was reluctant to accept too much praise, but he admitted it was a great feeling to put previously unheralded Luckett on the cricket map.

“It’s all been a bit mad,” Brenton told BBC South West Sport. “I’ve been getting texts from everyone and my son said he’d seen a story about it on a Web site in New Zealand.”

“It was just a perfect day to bat,” he said. “I haven’t been too keen to make a big deal about it, but now I think about it, it will be nice to have the record for however long it stands and for my son to look at the stories about it all, and hopefully it will do something for Luckett as a club.”

Unsurprisingly Brenton’s innings was a match-winning effort. Luckett reach 513-5 off 48 overs, another Cornish record, to win by 313 runs after Tideford made 210-6.